Remember me
by roxyfire57
Summary: He never thought anyone would remember. But when Trunks died, the entire world mourned for him. Set in the Mirai timeline.


**He never thought anyone would remember. But when Trunks died, the entire world mourned for him. Set in the Mirai timeline, the occurrings after Trunks's death. Pan plays a big role in it, but not the way anyone would expect.**

The little girl sat outside with her parents, sister, and a few other families. She watched as a few other children piled up along the alleyways, waiting for the same thing that she was. They told her, if you did not have a radio or television just wait outside on 25th May at 2.00pm. That's what everyone here was doing. Waiting.

And true enough, at 2.00pm, a giant airship passed over, casting a large shadow above everyone. The little girl looked up, as did the others, when a large television attached to the side of the airship flickered to life. It showed a large mansion which everyone around the world had gotten familiar to recently-a large, yellow dome with the words Capsule Corporation at the side. It used to be more than half it's current size, but with years of apocalypse and destruction no one had bothered to rebuild it and the once majestic building had crumbled.

A large mass of reporters and paparazzi had gathered outside what used to be the largest and most prosperous company. There was a makeshift podium in front of Capsule Corp, and activity buzzed around it. A young woman, seeming to be in her early twenties, stepped up onto the stand. Everything ceased.

She had long raven hair that fell just beyond her shoulders, with beautiful onyx eyes that once upon a time sparkled. Now they were dull and filled with sorrow and regret. The woman looked up and tapped the microphone a few times, and a loud resonance echoed throughout. The woman sighed longingly, then picked up the mike.

"Thank you everyone, for coming here today. My name is Pan Son-Briefs," she looked around for a while, and continued, "today, I called everyone here to announce a heartbreaking piece of news. My father, Trunks Vegeta Briefs, is...dead."

The world fell silent.

YYYYYYYYYY

"He died last night." Pan wiped away a tear threatening to fall. She looked up, pain evident in her eyes. "We all know Trunks Briefs, our savior. The very hero who defeated the androids so many years ago-when we all thought hope was lost, when humanity was nearing its end. Trunks liberated the human race and brought upon us a new era of hope and reconstruction." The woman sighed, her shoulders heavy with the burden of this speech.

"Trunks is-was, not my biological father. My birth father's name was Gohan Son, but he, like many others, died against the androids. My adoptive father Trunks was Gohan's mentee. When my mother," Pan motioned to a middle-aged lady seated in a bench at a corner, "found out she was pregnant with me, Gohan was dead. My mother had to get through with the pregnancy, labour and raise me alone amidst the destruction. Many others have lost their spouses and have to bring up their children single handedly, and I know how hard and difficult it was during those times while fearing for our lives." A few heads bobbed up and down in the crowd.

"It was when I was three, that we received news that the androids were defeated." Pan waited for the news to sink in. "I do not need to describe, the relief, happiness and joy we all felt then-as survivors, as the hope of a better future, as pioneers of a new generation." Everyone voiced their agreement amongst the few conversations sprouting out.

"Trunks found my mother and me, and took us in. He wanted to care for us in the stead of Gohan, his mentor an older brother. The late Bulma Briefs, Trunks's mother, had been there too. It is also there I met Chi Chi Son, Gohan's mother also my biological grandmother." Pan looked down. "To take care of us, Trunks never got married. He never even tried to find his other half-but instead treated me like his blood daughter and Videl-my mother, like a sister. Trunks felt that other attachments would distract him from both taking care of us and rebuilding the world. He brought me up, took me around the world to help everyone, and named me Earth's new protector."

At this pride swelled up in Pan's chest and she tossed her hair gracefully, forming a ki ball in her hands. In the past, everyone would have oohed and ahhed at the marvellous impossibility of it all. But years of life in rubble and terror, everyone had seen such fatal blasts exchanged between the androids and fighters, it became no longer as a surprise. in fact, parents have told children to avoid such manipulations of ki.

No one doubted Pan's strength. She let the ki ball dissipate in her hands. "Trunks Briefs is dead. My father is dead." She sighed. "Today is remembrance day."

She looked up. "Today marks the day of the android's first attack. Today, is the day where everyone's lives first changed, when the world was pulled into chaos. Today is the very same day that started the apocalypse. And today is the day, we found Earth's savior Trunks Vegeta Briefs dead. But," she looked around, ignoring the stinging tears.

"Today is the day a new hero emerges. My father has spent his entire life protecting humanity, and I will continue his legacy!" The fire was burning. "Trunks would not want us to mourn him, to be devastated. He would want us to continue our lives, and to show the universe, we can do it! We are not afraid of new challenges, be it androids or aliens! We will survive!"

Everyone shared looks of pride and confidence. "Today is the day we show everyone out there, Earth is not full of weaklings, so don't mess with us, or you will fail! Today is remembrance day, the day we stand united!" Pan's eyes glittered.

Everyone cheered.

YYYYYYYYYY

When they got home - widows and widowers, parents and children, elderly and orphans, they shut their doors and windows, turned off the lights and did something many of them have told themselves, after having lost so much in so little time, not to.

They cried.

They cried for the loss of a friend, a hero, a role model, a protector, a savior. And when they were done they looked up in the skies and thanked him for all that he has done, and prayed to keep what was left of him-his adoptive daughter Pan, safe.

YYYYYYYYYY

"Mom?" Pan walked into Capsule Corp's living room. The large crowd had long dispersed and Pan felt empty again. She sat beside the woman on the large couch. "Mommy."

Videl turned to regard her daughter. "That was a very good speech dear-oh, what's wrong?"

Pan hugged her knees as her bottom lip quivered. "That wasn't a good speech. That was a horrible speech! Who cares about surviving and being the protector of humanity?! Who cares about unity?!" The raven-haired woman burst into tears like a young child.

Videl patted Pan's knee and shifted so her daughter can snuggle in with her. Pan whimpered. "Honey..." Videl wrapped her arms around her daughter. Pan buried her face in her mother's chest. "I don't wanna be Earth's new protector! I don't wanna be Trunks's heiress! I don't wanna be grown up! I just want my daddy!" Videl sighed. "Your daddy wouldn't want you to be like this."

"Which one?" Pan sniffed. Videl smiled sadly. She and her daughter had been through this many times before-previously, Videl had insisted that Gohan be Pan's father and that Trunks was more like an Uncle or an older brother. Back then she was too insecure and didn't want to hear her daughter call some other guy-other than the one she loved-dad. Afterwards Videl realised that Pan hadn't really known Gohan, and that Trunks was more of a parental figure to her than anyone else. By then Pan and Trunks had a deep bond like father and daughter, and Videl realised that she didn't mind having Trunks help care for her daughter. So since her ninth birthday Pan had been calling Trunks Dad.

"Trunks." Videl answered. Pan shivered slightly. "I know. He'll say I need to stay strong and be a good girl, that I have my whole life left to live." Videl nodded and rested her chin on Pan's head. "Well, he's right."

FLASHBACK

"Who are you?"

The lavender haired male shot Videl a dazzling smile. "I thought everyone knew who I am?" Videl narrowed her eyes. "Watch it buster, I know martial arts." The man laughed. "I know."

Then he leaned forward, making Videl step back-although she wasn't afraid, something about him screamed familiarity and warmth. "Do you know Gohan Son?" Videl blinked. "...Yes. Why?" The man smiled. "You are Videl Satan, then." It wasn't a question. Videl crossed her arms, "yes, I am. And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

"Trunks Briefs, 'mam." The man tilted his head and extended his hand. At this, Videl lost her cool and gaped at the handsome young man in front of her. "T-T-Trunks? Trunks Briefs? As in, THE Trunks Briefs? The one who defeated the androids?!' Trunks laughed good heartedly. "I believe that is me, yes." What was a celebrity, the strongest man alive, doing at her doorstep?

Trunks seemed to have read her mind. "Videl, Gohan was my mentor. He died fighting the androids four years ago." he said sadly. "But he would mention, when we were training together, about a beautiful raven haired girl named Videl whom he loved. See, after I defeated the androids I decided to look for you in Gohan's stead." Trunks looked up and grinned. "Nice to see you are doing well."

Videl tried to keep the tears in. "Gohan..?" "Mommy!" A little girl raced out. She stopped by the edge of the doorway behind her mother and looked up at the stranger. Little Pan pulled at her mother's pant leg. "Mommy, who's this?" Trunks's smile widened. "You have a daughter?"

Videl nodded, placing a hand on Pan's head. "Yes." She knew the question that was coming next. "Who's the father?"

Videl smiled. "Gohan."

END FLASHBACK

Pan sobbed silently. When she had found her father this morning, stiff and cold, she felt something tear itself painfully out of her heart. She felt her mother pull her closer and Pan seeked out the warmth gratefully. Videl found that she was crying.

After living for so long in ruins where death is a everyday occurrence, Videl had told herself never again. To cry for every death is to waste every second of her life. Soon she, like all the others, have developed a hard shell to protect themselves from the weather of emotions-but have gradually hollowed out. A family member lost was a mouth less to feed-you felt sad for a while, but that was it. Those times you had to take care of the living, not worry about the dead.

But now it was different.

Pan curled into a small ball. "I miss daddy." Videl kissed the top of her daughter's forehead. "Me too Pan. Me too."


End file.
